Last Wednesday was New Year’s Day. The day we made resolutions, declarations, promises to ourselves and others. The day we started things with such enthusiasm and hope for the future. The day we pictured life being just a little bit different than it was the day before. The day we committed to something, to do or not to do, that was the question.
Last Wednesday we may have stood resolutely, maybe even in defiance, but definitely determined, and laid down our be it resolveds. Maybe even answering, with a fist pump or high five, the questions posed last week — Are we all in? Are we done with dabbling? Will we be all in with Jesus this year? YES! I am right there with you! So…just checking in…
This Wednesday, one week later, seven days in, to use a very annoying phrase (because it strikes my last nerve), “How’s that working for you?” For sure, we will not be completely transformed in seven days, but are we still raring to go and gung ho in our all inness (if that’s a word) with Jesus?
Some of us may be still be going full throttle seven days in and some of us may have lost a little of our vim and vigor. This is, of course, to be expected. When we commit to being all in with Jesus, we need to remember that there’s something happening in the atmosphere that we cannot see or hear. When we say yes to Jesus, a supernatural something happens – war is waged in the heavens for our souls. If we are not all in with Jesus, Satan has already got a foothold. Remember what Paul told the Ephesians?
Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
So you see, if your enthusiasm is waning a bit in your all inness (if that’s a word), it is to be expected. The Lord told us it would be like this in His Word. He didn’t say just flip the switch and you will be transformed. He didn’t say just change your mind, change your attitude, change your priorities, He said: Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. He knew we would need help with our resolution, our commitment, our declaration to Him and He gave it to us in His Word.
And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
The Word of God. It is the revealer of God! That really is the number one, sole purpose of The Bible it is a book about God. Yes, it is our life’s bread, our sustenance, our energy, our power, our guide, our director, our comfort, but those are byproducts that flow from the revelation of the character of God. We try hard to make it a book about us, but it really is a book about God. If we want to know God, if we want to be changed by God, if we want to be all in, we have got to read The Bible.
We make all kinds of excuses for not being in The Word of God on a daily basis. None of them good. We’re too busy, we don’t have time – not even 15 minutes to ourselves. When, in fact, it isn’t that we don’t have time to be in The Word, it’s simply that we don’t want to be in The Word – ouch, ouch, ouch – sorry, sorry, sorry. There are a million excuses we make, but when it boils right down to it, none of them hold water.
Believers must be in The Word of God, we must know The Word of God, or we will fall for the “schemes of the devil.” This is not about legalism, following the rules, checking the boxes. It’s about discipline over dabbling, getting to know God, the One who came to save us, the One who comforts us, the One who loves us, the One who provides for us, the One who sustains us, the One who created us, the One who loves us, the One… We cannot follow God if we don’t know God and the only way to know Him is to be in the Word. Hard Stop.
So, are you ready for a reset? You’re not alone! We need to recognize there is a battle raging and who is fighting the battle. If we think we can just will ourselves to do better, to read our Bible more, to pray more, to go to Church more, to be better people, to fulfill all those resolutions we made, we will surely fail. But, if we are strong in the Lord and in His mighty power, we will prevail. It is His power that helps us keep our commitments, our promises, our resolutions.
I’m challenging you today to reset. And that’s tomorrow’s challenge, and the next day and the next day…Let’s reset together, carry each other along, hold each other up, with the most important tool He gave us. His Word.
Whether it’s five minutes a day or hours a day, get into The Word, get to know God!
I’m a numbers person. I love numbers, they always make sense. 2+2=4, always! Check out some of these numbers:
• 783,000+ words in the NKJV of The Bible.
• 16,000 words average person speaks
• 783,000/16,000=49 days to speak the Bible aloud
• 23,000 verses in the Old Testament
• 8,000 verses in the New Testament
• 23,000+8,000=31,000 verses in The Bible
• 1 verse a day = 365 verses a year
• 31,000/365=85 years to read The Bible!
• 2 verses a day=730 verses a year
• 31,000/730=42 years to read The Bible!
• 70 hours average to read The Bible
o Genesis-Malachi (52 hours) Matthew-Revelation (18 hours)
o Less than 3 straight days in a row.
Here’s the long and the short of it:
If we spoke The Bible, it would take 49 days. If we read 1-2 verses a day, it will take 85 or 42 years – at that rate most of us are not going to live long enough to finish the whole Book. BUT, if we set aside 15 minutes a day – turn off the TV, turn off social media, turn off the news, put down our crafts and phones – just for 15 minutes a day, we can read the entire Bible in 280 days!!!
The Word of God opens up a whole new world for us, literally. So, if our commitment got off with great enthusiasm or to a rocky start, now’s a good time for a reset. You don’t have to wait until January 1, 2026, to recommit or reset. Start now, start today, and everyday thereafter. Everyday can be a reset!
Let’s read the Book, the words spoken by His lips onto the pages of His Book. Wow!